How to Fry a Herring in the right way is not common knowledge out of Scotland. For one thing the herring has to be fresh. Herring not newly taken from the sea makes excellent manure. The newly taken fish, as good as a salmon in its way, should at once be cleaned
and dried, sprinkled with pepper and salt, and tossed in the coarsest oatmeal till thickly coated on each side. Have dripping in a frying-pan smoking hot, put in the herrings and brown them on each side, allowing five minutes a side. Drain on paper, and serve with thin
slices of lemon and sprigs of parlsey. To each two herrings allow an ounce of oatmeal and the same of dripping. If the bones bother you in the eating, bone, split and flatten each fish before treating it as above.

Plain boiled herring have to be even fresher than those that are fried, and they must come straight out of Loch Fyne. These, boiled in their skins, have such a look of smooth well-being that they are known as "Glasgow Magistrates". But it is said that Glasgow magistrates no longer look as happy as a boiled, fresh Loch Fyne herring.